Egg-carton.



0. 0. SMILEY;

EGG CARTON. APPLICATION FILED DEG. 12, 1913.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

c. 0. SMILEY.

EGG CARTON. APPLICATION FILED DEC.12, 1913.

7 1,120,752, Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES CASSIUS C. SMILEY, 0F

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

EGG-CARTON.

' I Application filed December To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Cassius C. SMILEY, a citizen of. the United States, and a resident of the city of Indianapolis, county of Mar ion. and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg- Cartons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in foldable egg cartons and has for its object the production of a carton of this character which will be of simple and economical construction,'one which may be readily and easily folded or unfolded, one which when unfolded will present a firm and rigid construction, and further a carton which will be eflicient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. a

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which,

Figure 1 1s a perspective view of an egg carton embodying my invention, showing the same in unfolded condition with the lid. thereof in open position, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the longitudinally extending partition of the body of the carton, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the carton in collapsed 4 is a. plan view of the blank body of the carton is formed, and Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views of the transversely extending partitions of the carton.

illustrated in the drawings comprises a carten the body of which is formed of a single piece or blank of paper, cardboard or other suitable flexible material. This blank consists of portions 1, 2, 3 and 4 which form the lid, rear, bottom and front walls respectively of the carton, these portions being separated by parallel creases 5, 6, and 7 as clearly shown in'Fig. 1. Provided at the ends of the front wall 4 are projections 9 separated from said wall by creases 10. The projections 9, when the blank is formed into the carton body, constitute the end walls of the carton body, the free ends of the projections 9 which are provided with flaps 11 being secured as by pasting to the respective ends of the rear wall 2 of the carton, as clearly Specification of Letters Patent.

The preferred form of construction as.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

12, 1913. Serial No. 806,172.

shown in Fig. 1. The bottom 3 is provided with a medial longitudinally extending crease 8 and the end walls 9 are provided with medial transversely extendin creases 12 in order to permit of the body 0 the carton being collapsedin the manner shown 1n v Fig. 3.

Arranged in the interior of the carton body is a medial longitudinally extending partition 13 having flaps 14 at its ends which are secured as by pasting to the end walls 9. Also arranged within the carton body, are spaced transversely extending partitions 15 having flaps 16 at their ends which are secured as by pasting to the front and rear walls of the carton body, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The longitudinally extending partition 13 is provided with spaced notches 17 and each of the transversely extending partitions 15 is provided with a medial notch 18, said notches as clearly shown in Fig. 1 in order to permit of intersection of said partitions and to thereby divide the interior of the carton body into a plurality of independent egg compartments. The transversely extending partitions 15 are provided with medial transversely extending creases 19 which permit of said partitions folding upon themselves in order to permit of collapsing of the carton, as shown in Fig. 3.

The lid 1 is provided at its respective ends with projecting flaps 20 separated from said lid by means of creases 21. Said flaps are provided with medial transversely extending creases 22 which permit of the outer ends of said flaps being inserted in slits 23 formed between the respective ends of the bottom 3 and the lower edges of end walls 9, in order to hold said'lid in closed position.

Provided centrally at the free edge of the lid 1 is a flap 24 separated from said lid by a crease 25. The upper portions of the front edges of the transversely extending partitions 15 at the center of the carton body are cut away as at 26 and are unfastened in order to permit of the insertion of the flap 2i between said edge portions and the front wall 4, said flap being clamped between said edges and wall in order to' releasably lock the front edge of the lid 1 in closed position. When the carton is in collapsed condition the fiap 24 is adapted to be folded back upon the lid 1 and be positioned between said lid and the adjacent wall of the carton body, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the flaps 20, when the carton is collapsed, being correspondingly positioned as shown. In collapsing the carton, the end walls 9 are bent upon the lines 12 and the transverse partitions 15 are bent upon the lines 1!) so as to permit of the rear and front walls 2 and 4: approaching each other as shown in Fig. 3. In this bending of said end walls and transverse partitions the longitudinal partitions 13 will be carried bodily to the right because of the connection of the latter with the central portions of said end walls and transverse partitions. The bottom wall 3 in the collapse of the carton bends downwardly upon itself along the line 8, the longitudinal half portions of said bottom at opposite sid s of the bending line 8 assuming positions substantially coplanar with the front and rear walls of the carton. The flaps and the lid 24 are then folded, back against the outer side of the lid 1, whereupon the latter is folded back to position against the rear wall 2 and the adjacent portion of the bottom 3, as clearly shown in Fig. 3; In distending the carton from collapsed position the steps as set forth are simply reversed.

A carton of the construction set forth is simple and economical in construction, the same, by reason of the flaps cooperating with the lid 1, is adapted when in use, to be securely locked in distended condition to constitute a firm and rigid construction. The construction is such as to render it possible to readily and easily unfold the carton from collapsed condition and to as readily collapse the same from distended condition.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

An egg carton comprising a rectangular body formed of a single sheet of flexible material bent and shaped to form the lid, bottom wall, front wall and rear wall of the carton; a projection on each end of said front wall, each projection forming an end wall of the carton, said projections extending rearwardly from the front wall of the carton and having their rear ends fastened to the rear wall of the carton; transversely and longitudinally extending interlocking partitions secured at their ends to said front, rear, and end walls, dividing the interior of said carton body into a plurality of egg compartments; and a flap at the free edge of said lid, the upper portions of the forward edges of said transverse oartitions being loose to permit of insertion of said flap between said partition edge portions and the front wall of the body of the carton,

substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CASSIUS O. SMILEY. Witnesses:

JOHN A. Hose,

JOHN W. JOHNSON. 

